Tripping Along....


Well, yesterday Daughter and I were on the road again. The little red car had been to the hospital and discharged with a clean bill of health. It chortled down the highway with the promise of getting us to where we were going this time. And back again!

Our journey followed a three-legged route, each leg with it's own charm and devilish drawbacks.

The road from Keremeos to Princeton follows the Similkameen river, - somewhat twisty and windy but also very scenic and pleasant. It take about fifty minutes, if you are doing the speed limit and watching for deer crossings.

The second leg jogs through a valley, rich with lakes and campsites but the road is positively serpentine until it climbs up on to the Nicola plateau. It then presents a view of satiny hills, crisscrossed with evergreens and deciduous trees, just beginning to don the colours of autumn.















The approach to the third leg of the journey takes you past Aspen Grove, and suddenly you are shoveled on to the Coquihalla highway, and funneled down a road that has only a speedy trip to recommend it. The traffic whizzes by and not even the timid who cling to the 110 k speed limit have a place to cower along in comfort, - their slow lane is taken up by trucks probably doing 130kph. It is a relief to be dumped at the other end, into a sane and sensible traffic pattern. More or less.

We found our way to the Thompson River University Campus, - unloaded the trunkful of Care Packages for the erstwhile students we had come to visit, and were suitably impressed with their most practical and attractive digs.

After a lunch that I enjoyed immensely (good Onion Soup and fun to be with young people) and a walk around the campus, threading our way through throngs of local and international students, it was, alas, time to hit the road again and retrace our steps. I was terribly envious of the youthfulness and the wonderful opportunities. I remembered that when I took the courses that these girls are taking now I was middle-aged, and although the learning was wonderful, the sense of community amongst the young extended in only a limited fashion to include the older students. Which, of course, is perfectly understandable.

Today I am stiff from a six hour journey in the little red car, and very much aware of travel limitations that persuade Husband and I to enjoy being homebodies.

But I wouldn't have missed if for anything, and thanks to DD for braving that frightening highway, and being so sweet about the twists and turns that took us through the approach to it.